GB772753A - Improved hot gas reciprocating engine - Google Patents

Abstract

772,753. Hot gas engines. SCHIEL, L. R. Oct. 2, 1953 [Oct. 3, 1952], No. 27131/53. Class 7 (1). The engine comprises a plurality of cooled contraction cylinders and heated working cylinders arranged in coacting pairs opposed to each other and so located that the movement of their pistons takes place parallel to a mainshaft to which is attached a camplate which transmits the power to the main shaft. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a four cycle hot gas engine in which the pistons cooperate with a rotary cam plate 8. The hot cylinders 1-1c are immersed in molten lead. Each communicates through a corresponding heater 13 regenerator 12 and cooler 11 with one of the cold cylinders 2-2c. In order to produce isothermal heating the bottom of the cylinders 1 may be arranged as shown in Fig. 8 in which hot lead is introduced through a pipe 24 and led away through a pipe 25. Alternatively water may used. The piston may comprise projections 21, Fig. 9. Fig. 10 is a plan and shows the location of the heaters 13. Each pair of piston rods comprises a cooperating tongue 15 and groove 14, Fig. 6. Rollers 7,16 cooperate with the cam 8. Ball bearings may be provided for the rollers and for the support of the piston rods. A furnace employing either solid or liquid fuel may be used to heat a filling medium for example lead or Wood's metal which rises when heated and heats the preheaters and heating cylinders. Air for combustion passes through a preheater and cooled gases flow back into atmosphere from the preheater. The cold cylinders may be located in a water bath a cooler being provided for cooling the water therein. In a modification liquid lead may be injected into the hot cylinder and cold water into the cold cylinder. It is stated that the projections on the piston may dip into liquid in the bottom of the cylinder. The working medium may be air nitrogen or preferably argon. The volume of the hot cylinders may be 3-4 times that of the cold cylinders. The engine is controlled by regulation of the fuel supply and by regulation of the charge. A high pressure container can be connected by means of valves (not shown) in pipe 9 either with the machinery housing or with the pressure container. By this means both precompression and power can be regulated. It cannot be avoided that some highly compressed gas enters the machinery housing due to lack of tightness in the piston rings but this gas is forced back into the pressure vessel through a very small compressor and from there returned to the cylinder as required. The cam plate may be designed so that four reciprocations of the pistons will occur for one revolution of the engine shaft. All the cylinders may be placed on the same side of the cam plate if for example the cold cylinders are arranged in an inner circle and the hot cylinders in an outer circle. Lubrication can be effected by injection from the crank case.